A Day Equals 1000 Years (Laws of Victory)

After discussing the legitimacy of the question "When will victory come?" in part one, and highlighting the first and second laws of victory in part two, the author draws our attention to the fact that our recognition of the time factor is different than Allah's and that victory comes in its due time.

Ridiculing the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), people from Makkah asked him to expedite Allah’s punishment. They even said, addressing Allah,

{If that (which Muhammad is telling us) is the truth from You, send on us stones from heaven or inflict on us a painful punishment.} (Al-Anfal 8:32)

They said so while mocking the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), harming him, and torturing and killing those who believed in him.

It wasn’t an easy situation. The oppressors were strong. They were so evil. The people of the truth were weak and oppressed. Khabbab Ibn Al-Aratt, one of the great Companions of the Prophet, suffered tremendous torture whose signs lasted for years on Khabbab's body. Once `Omar Ibn Al-Khattab asked Khabbab to mention some of the suffering he used to go through. Khabbab showed him and the attendees the signs of torture on his back. The scene was so horrible that none of them was able to look at Khabbab’s body; they asked him to cover it. May Allah be pleased with them all.

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So, one night Khabbab met the Prophet in the city. Out of pain, he complained to the Prophet about the huge suffering they are going through.

“O Messenger of Allah, shouldn’t you ask Allah for support? Shouldn’t you supplicate for us?“

The truth was apparent: the Prophet and his Companions on one side and his enemies and oppressors on the other; that is a clear truth and a clear falsehood. However, both sides are calling for the same thing, expediting Allah’s intervention.

The believers are asking the Prophet, “Shouldn’t you call for Allah’s support? Shouldn’t you supplicate that Allah removes this suffering?”

The oppressors are asking the same thing, out of mockery and ridiculing. It is the same question again: “When is the victory of Allah?!“

The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) answers Khabbab stating a very important law by which Allah’s victory comes.

Among the nations before you a (believing) man would be put in a ditch that was dug for him, and a saw would be put over his head and he would be cut into two pieces; yet that (torture) would not make him give up his religion. His body would be combed with iron combs that would remove his flesh from the bones and nerves, yet that would not make him abandon his religion.

By Allah, this religion (i.e. Islam) will prevail till a traveler from Sana'a (in Yemen) to Hadhramaut will fear none but Allah, or a wolf as regards his sheep, but you are hasty.

Victory will come, perhaps not in our life time; but it will come. It will come at the time Allah planned, for, one day with Allah is as a thousand year of our reckoning.

Allah answers those mocking enemies by telling his Messenger and all of us about this very important law, that which I called the Third Law of Victory:

{They ask you to hasten the punishment. Allah shall most certainly not fail His promise; but a day with your Lord is as a thousand years of your reckoning} (Al-Hajj 22:47)

The truth is going to prevail. The support will come. The falsehood will be defeated. The oppressors will be brought to justice.

However, these things do not happen overnight. Allah has wisdom in giving things its due time. Noah had to spend 950 years calling his people and suffering the mockery and the disbelief before Allah granted him victory. The people of the cave had slept for over 300 years before they woke up to find the city once, ruled by their oppressors a city of believers.

According to this Law, victory will come, perhaps not in our life time; but it will come. It will come at the time Allah planned, for, one day with Allah is as a thousand year of our reckoning.

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